Beef Wellington Recipe (2024)

By Melissa Clark

Beef Wellington Recipe (1)

Total Time
1½ hours, plus chilling
Rating
4(2,739)
Notes
Read community notes

In this British classic, tender beef fillet is blanketed with browned mushrooms and shallots, then wrapped in layers of prosciutto and buttery puff pastry before being baked until golden and flaky on the outside, juicy and rare within. Worthy of the most elegant, blow-out meal, save this one for Christmas, New Year’s Eve or your next big birthday. One thing to note: You really do need a full pound of puff pastry here to cover all the meat, so if your package weighs less (some brands weigh 12 ounces), you’ll need to supplement with another package.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings

  • 3pounds center-cut beef tenderloin
  • 2ounces pancetta or bacon, finely chopped (¼ cup)
  • 2tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 12ounces mushrooms, preferably a mix of different kinds, such as cremini, white, shiitake, chanterelles or oyster, very finely chopped (4 cups)
  • 1shallot, diced
  • 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 2garlic cloves, minced
  • 2teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
  • 1tablespoon dry sherry or dry vermouth
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 2tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 10 to 12thin slices prosciutto
  • 1large egg
  • 16ounces puff pastry, thawed (see Tip)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

684 calories; 49 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 24 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 34 grams protein; 579 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Beef Wellington Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Using kitchen twine, tie the tenderloin into a 12-inch log, folding the thinner end onto itself. (Use your hands to squeeze the meat into a log. You can be aggressive here.)

  2. Step

    2

    Place pancetta in a cold 12-inch skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until pancetta starts to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.

  3. Step

    3

    Add butter, raise heat to high, and stir in mushrooms and shallot. Cook until the liquid released by the mushrooms has cooked off, 4 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until mushrooms are browned, stirring frequently, another 18 to 23 minutes. (Take your time here, you want a deep golden color for the best flavor.) Scrape bottom of the skillet as necessary to prevent burning.

  4. If the pan looks dry, drizzle in a little olive oil, then stir in garlic and thyme leaves. Cook until fragrant, another 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in sherry, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Scrape mixture into a medium bowl to cool. (Do not add salt at this point.)

  5. Step

    5

    In the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Season beef generously with salt and pepper, then sear on all sides until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, and cool slightly. Remove any twine. Brush meat all over with mustard.

  6. Step

    6

    On a clean work surface, overlap long sheets of plastic wrap (about 15-by-15 inches). Place prosciutto slices on top to make about a 14-by-7-inch rectangle, arranging them in an even layer and overlapping the pieces slightly. Spread cooled mushroom mixture on top.

  7. Step

    7

    Place beef along one long end of the prosciutto slices, and roll prosciutto tightly around beef. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, twisting both ends like a candy wrapper. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.

  8. Step

    8

    Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees, and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and 1 teaspoon water. Lay puff pastry out on the prepared baking sheet, lightly draping over edges. (The pastry needs to be at least 14-inches long and 13-inches wide to cover the beef; if not, roll it out as needed.)

  9. Step

    9

    Carefully unwrap and place chilled log along the edge of one long side of puff pastry. Roll beef up tightly, then place it seam-side down on the baking sheet. Tuck puff pastry over the ends of the beef to cover them, pinching to seal and folding underneath. Brush top and sides of pastry with egg wash, and use a small sharp knife to cut a few slits into the top of the pastry.

  10. Step

    10

    Bake until a thermometer inserted in the center reads 115 degrees for rare, 25 to 35 minutes. (This timing will yield rare pieces at the thicker end and medium done pieces at the thinner end of the loin.) Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve while warm.

Tip

  • You really do need a full pound of puff pastry here to cover all the meat, so if your package weighs less (some brands weigh 12 ounces), you’ll need to supplement with another package.

Ratings

4

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2,739

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Karen Webber

Just made this tonight with rave reviews. I split the recipe in half because it’s just the two of us. I tend to always use whole grain Dijon in place of regular. To make again, I would use regular Dijon, and splash some red wine in the mushroom/bacon mixture. I mistakenly thought beef Wellington would be difficult but this was recipe was so straightforward and delicious. Will definitely make again - for a big crowd or small.

Cassie

Made this exactly as written with 2 hours of chilling and a 25 minute bake and it came out perfectly rare. If you think beef wellington is too hard to attempt I promise this recipe will make you a believer! The most painful part is paying for the beef tenderloin and once that’s over with you’re in the clear.

Karen Webber

To halve the recipe, time was the same. Came out perfectly rare.

Roni Jordan

I've made individual beef Wellingtons several times - never the whole tenderloin - and always feel comfortable that each will come out perfectly medium rare after 20 minutes at 425. The addition of prosciutto to this recipe is something I'll consider next time. Use TJ's all-butter French puff pastry if you can find it before it runs out (it's a seasonal item). 17 ounces for a fraction of the price of Dufour.

KellyDorafshar

I made this again last night. I'm a sauce fan so after I browned the meat, I used the same pan and threw in a minced large shallot till browned poured in a couple of glugs of red wine and reduced that a bit. I added about 8 sliced mushrooms and a knob of butter and reduced that down. I added about a teaspoon beef base from Penzeys spices (Really the BEST!) and a cup of water. A little salt and good amount of pepper and another 15 min on the stove and it was so good. Great addition!

Roni Jordan

Anyone planning to make this or individual Wellingtons should find TJs all-butter puff pastry from France. It’s a full 18.3 ounces; two rolled up sheets wrapped in parchment and sealed in cellophane. Defrosts in fridge in hours and no pesky seams from the folds of other brands. A fraction of the cost of Dufours.

Kathleen MacAllister

I made this from Julia Child’s recipe in the late 1960s. It called for mushrooms, shallots, butter, dry Sercial Madeira, salt, pepper and mousse de foie or foie gras. After carefully cutting out puffed pastry autumn leaves placing them artfully on the top I slid it into the oven. Only it had other ideas and slid on to the floor. Being in my early 20s, I picked it all up, patted the pastry back on (mingled unattractivly with the mushroom concoction) and put it into the oven. Delicious!

Jen

Garrett and Dan liked. More mushroom on edge per Garrett. Get prosciutto with paper in between. Hardest part of preparing.

Valoree Vargo

Just made this for Christmas. It was a hit. Couple of changes. First, I tripled the amount of mushrooms. 12 oz, is not nearly enough. I roasted them in the oven for 15 minutes to dry them out, then processed them. In a skillet for 45 minutes with 2 tbsp. butter. Perfect. Skipped the garlic, I am allergic. Egg wash, in the oven 30 minutes. Excellent color and taste. I made one for my niece, who is a vegetarian, with just the mushrooms and par cooked asparagus, she loved it. Excellent!

Betsy

AMAZING! So much easier that I ever dreamt it would be! Since we're by ourselves this Christmas (thanks COVID!), I made it as two single portions with two gorgeous, thick tenderloin steaks cut by the butcher. I just reduced the amounts of mushrooms/pancetta and wrapped each steak with puff pastry dough. Surprisingly, the timing was still good at 25 minutes - probably because the steaks were well over an inch thick (each one weighed a bit over 1/2 pound!).

Eric M

I made it as written and it was amazing, and not difficult at all. I chilled the beef/mushroom log overnight so had a very small amount of prep Christmas Day. It took longer than indicated to cook, around 40 min, maybe because of the long chill or because I checked it every few minutes starting at 25, hyper paranoid I’d overcook a $100 cut of beef. Will started saving for the next one!

gina

wonderful recipe! Made it for Christmas dinner and it was perfect. Making it up to step 7 the night before made for a relaxed Christmas dinner and evening.

Tammi

Prosciutto is the Italian word for ham, yes, but in America, where the New York Times is located, it means specifically what you are referring to as Parma ham. But I'm pretty sure you already knew that.

Samantha

Did a test run of this recipe on four guinea pigs (friends) last night. All reviews were entirely positive, and I pushed for critique. It's surprisingly easy, but makes a big impression. And even though the ingredients are pretty expensive, you get an exceptional return on investment.Served it with beet and fennel salad, mashed Yukons, and sauteed beet greens. A very attractive plate with complementary flavors that offset the cost of the main dish. From grocery store to table took 3 hours.

Jo

First try & a hit! Doubled doxelle. Cooked until very dry to avoid soggy puff pastry. Meat@room temp. to sear. Doxelle & meat cooled, rolled tightly with prosciutto. Refrigerate. Rolled tightly in Puff pastry (butter not margarin.Pastry shop). In fridge for a day. Taken out for min. 1 hour to bring to room temp. Egg wash. Preheated oven with pan in it. Put Welly on parchment paper, on hot pan & on bottom rack. Took out at 125 meat thermometer reading (~45 min.) & rested 20 min.Pink & perfect!

Laure

I've made this recipe twice with wild success. I omit the pancetta because I don't think it's necessary, and I've been able to use one 14-oz package of puff pastry to cover my entire piece of beef (just need to roll it out a bit on a floured surface). Looking forward to many more Wellingtons in the future!

nasutch

Good recipe for cooking the beef, temp and time worked just right. I’ve made individual wellingtons following the Silver Palate recipe, with no pancetta or prosciutto in the past and prefer it that way. I found it too salty with the prosciutto.

KC YUM

I've made this a few times now for Christmas and other special occasions and it's always amazing. One thing, my pastry never gets quite as golden toasty colored as the photo when the meat is at temperature. Always tastes perfect, but wish I could get the right color. Also a note, this year I made a second Wellington sans duxelles for a non-mushroom eater at the table and it worked great. No substitutions, just skipped the entire layer.

Hannah

Used an elk tenderloin instead of beef and it came out perfectly

Erin

Made this for Christmas and it was spectacular!! Prepped first half on Eve and chilled it overnight. Finished on Christmas Day.Used 1-1/2 boxes of Dufour puff pastry. And needed a third pack of prosciutto (which comes 6 slices to a pack).Learned that the meat thermometer won’t register when putting it in as the bake starts. And that 28 mins yields absolute perfection! Meat is rare/medium rare and cuts like buttah.All the ingredients play an essential role and work together in harmony!

Nancy Y

I trust all Clark's recipes. But we had one "hiccup" with this one. It would have been helpful for a step in the recipe to say how thin the puff pastry should be rolled out to before wrapping the tenderloin. My sons (who are good cooks) prepped the wellington, but didn't know to roll out the pastry. As a result, the beef, fillings and outer crust were great but we ended up with about a 1/4inch raw dough on the inside. We "deconstructed" the wellington before eating and agreed we'd try again!!

Megan McDonald

A showstopper—my guests raved! I found it a bit labor intensive to prepare, but the step-by-step instructions were excellent and reassuring. I especially appreciated that the ends were a bit more well-done than the rare center, allowing me to serve guests happily along the doneness spectrum. And it was truly delicious, savory and succulent. I did use the Trader Joe's puff pastry, and it fit the tenderloin beautifully and browned nicely under the egg wash. A perfect holiday feast main.

SM

Love this recipe and have made it several times now. This year I made it without pork — skipped the pancetta completely, and tried alternating bresaola and sliced turkey instead of the prosciutto. Results were terrific — and the turkey, despite not being as dry or cured as the bresaola, performed just as well! I also put the shallots and mushrooms in the food processor rather than chopping, which I think helped the water release faster.

Jenny

Delicious! Forgot the mustard (eye roll), so mixed some mustard and mayo together to make a quick spread to pass at the table. It did take longer to get to 115*, closer to 50 minutes total, but that could be because I chilled the meat/prosciutto wrap for about 5 hours before baking. I think if I let it sit out to take the chill off, the puff pastry wouldn't puff, so I just need to allot more time for baking next time if I chill it long like that again. And there will be an again!

Julie C

Delicious and so impressive. I processed the duxelles in a food processor instead of hand-chopping, which I felt kept it together better while chilling. The other thing was I had to cook it much longer than 30 minutes to get the pastry a little brown--it never got as brown as the photo but it was still crisp and flaky and cooked through, although the meat was a little less rare. Not sure how to manage that, but it was a huge hit at Christmas and I would definitely make it again.

Vern

I made this recipe EXACTLY as above and the roast came out nearly raw after 35 minutes in the oven. I ended up having to slice it and microwave the meat and then add the mushroom/pastry mix on top. I fail to understand why 115 degrees is recommended as a meat temperature. All health organizations say that beef needs to be cooked to 145 degrees to be safe. The flavor was good, but it was such a disappointment on Christmas Day to serve this bloody mess.

Tried It For First Time

Not sure if I did it correctly...Seemed very salty to me. Like the prosciutto added a layer of salt I did not care for.My guests say they enjoyed it, but I may skip the prosciutto next time

Judy

I made this for Christmas dinner this afternoon and it was fantastic! I followed the recipe to the T, using dry vermouth instead of the sherry to deglaze. As the previous reviewer said, this recipe is NOT difficult. I’m definitely going to make this again for some future holiday or celebration.

Rob T

My annual tradition - never strayed from this recipe - perfect every time!

Phyllis

I used two puff pastry packages for half an order

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Beef Wellington Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to a good Beef Wellington? ›

Browning the beef gives it complexity and meaty depth. Tying the tenderloin improves both the appearance of the final dish, and leads to more even cooking. Phyllo provides a moisture barrier, preventing the puff pastry from getting soggy. A double layer of plastic wrap makes it easier to wrap up the tenderloin.

What are common mistakes in Beef Wellington? ›

Overcooking: Overcooking the beef or having portions of the pastry get soggy are common issues. To prevent overcooking, it is essential to sear the beef tenderloin quickly before wrapping it in puff pastry. This ensures that the beef remains tender and juicy [3].

Why is it hard to make Beef Wellington? ›

Beef wellington is not an easy dish to prepare with perfection. For starters, getting the tenderloin steak right is a challenge in itself. It has to be tender on the inside but decently firm on the outside, so it doesn't get mushed inside. The pâté and the duxelles are like preparing two individual dishes themselves.

How to tell when Beef Wellington is done? ›

Cut 4 (2-inch) vents in top of pastry. Cook's Tip: Use any excess dough to decorate Wellington. Bake in 425°F oven 35 to 50 minutes or until golden brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center of roast registers 135°F for medium rare; 150°F for medium. Transfer Beef Wellington to carving board.

How do I stop my Beef Wellington from having a soggy bottom? ›

Blind-bake your base before adding a filling to help to firm the base and avoid liquid being absorbed into it. Prick the base with a fork to help steam escape, cover with foil or parchment, and weigh it down with ceramic baking beans, uncooked rice or white sugar. Then bake at 220°C (425°F) for 15 minutes.

How do you crisp the bottom of a Beef Wellington? ›

One other approach is to bake "blind" a rectangle of puff pastry for the base before assembling the wellington. Cut a rectangle of pastry slightly larger than the beef for the base, prick it thoroughly with a fork and bake at 200c/400F for 20 minutes until golden.

Should Beef Wellington be cooked straight from the fridge? ›

You can prepare the Wellington up to 24 hours in advance at this point, but make sure you remove it from the fridge 30-40 minutes before the final bake. Carefully transfer the Beef Wellington to a lightly greased baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven at 425°F/220°C for 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.

Can you overcook Beef Wellington? ›

We'll cook the Wellington at 425°F (218°C) to puff the pastry. But we needn't fear that our beef will overcook too quickly because once the pastry is puffed, it literally becomes a coat of insulation for the meat: all those air pockets slow the flow of heat from the outside to the beef and prevent it from scorching.

Should you cook Beef Wellington on a rack? ›

Preheat oven to 425°F. Set up a rack about 1/3 up from the bottom of the oven (this will ensure the bottom of the wellington browns nicely).

Can you prep Beef Wellington the night before? ›

A good pepper sauce works well. My husband makes this every year and will prepare everything the day before. Once the beef and duxelles have cooled everything is wrapped and put into the refrigerator for 24 hours or so. I haven't noticed any issues with the pastry being wrapped that long.

How do you tenderize beef for Wellington? ›

Tenderize the sirloin by pounding with a meat mallet for several minutes (we're trying to simulate a filet here). In a medium-hot pan, sear the steak on all sides, about 30 seconds per side. The steak should still be rare inside at this point. Refrigerate until ready to use again.

Do you have to use prosciutto in Beef Wellington? ›

We skip the prosciutto and dijon mustard all together, and instead, we add a rich liver paté infused mushroom duxelles directly to the puff pastry. If liver paté isn't your thing, feel free to skip it and just add some cream cheese to the mushroom duxelles to make it spreadable.

How far in advance can you prepare Beef Wellington? ›

Make the wellington up to the end of step 5, up to 12 hours ahead, then cover and chill until ready to bake. Glaze with beaten egg just before baking. If you prefer, you can make the various stages up to 24 hours ahead, but don't assemble it then as the pastry will start to discolour.

What temperature should Beef Wellington be cooked at? ›

The pastry should be golden brown and brittle when it's ready. You can check the core temperature of the beef with your meat thermometer - for a succulent pink Wellington, it should be 54°C after resting for 10 minutes, so we suggest that you remove it from the oven when it reaches 50°C.

How long to take Beef Wellington out of fridge before cooking? ›

Transfer the Wellington to a large baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, with the pastry seal at the base, and brush all over with eggwash (you can prep to this stage, then refrigerate until needed – just get it out 1½ hours before cooking so it's not fridge-cold).

Can you wrap Beef Wellington the night before? ›

It's a beef tenderloin (better know as "filet" outside of the US) covered in a mushroom paste (duxelles) and wrapped in puff pastry. It looks stunning, tastes amazing, and can be prepared up to the final bake the day before the event.

Why put a crepe in Beef Wellington? ›

2) The crepes protect the pastry from excess moisture as the beef cooks, and also helps the beef stay joicy and tender once cooked. 3) Be very careful to tightly wrap your beef – the tighter the wrapping, the better the shape, which will result in more even cooking.

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